Bicycles provided with gear transmissions typically have the drawback that they lack pedal operated brakes. This is disadvantageous from the point of traffic security, firstly because it is not possible to produce the same braking force as in brakes operated by the feet and, secondly, because persons familiar with single gear bicycles often face difficulties when they have to use the hand brakes instead of the foot brakes. Especially in panic situations, such persons often act in reflex and the result is frequently that no braking at all takes place. A further disadvantage is that only one hand is available for the braking operation when the bicycle driver is using one hand to indicate a change of direction.
These and other reasons have resulted in many attempts to provide a brake which permits pedal operated braking in connection with multi-geared bicycles.
The suggested solutions, however, have been too complicated, and they have respectively necessitated such changes in the construction of the bicycle that they have not reached a more extensive use.